Thursday
Our only dinner reservation in Florence was at La Buchetta on our first evening, largely because we didn’t know what to expect amongst restaurants there. We were seated promptly in the back room under a video monitor that showed the plating action in the kitchen. While the waitstaff seemed a bit harried, our waiter spent some time with us describing all the dishes in English which we really appreciated! Eric and I decided to each get a pasta appetizer and then split a main course. I opted for the Gnocchi Angeli e Demoni and Eric had the Tagliatelle al Cinghiale. We then split a lovely beef filet with walnuts as our main. I also picked out a fruity red to compliment the meal. Overall it was quite tasty and we left stuffed!
Friday
Our first gelato stop in Florence was GROM where I was seduced by the salted caramel flavor. Eric chose both coffee and chocolate. Even the small size allows you two flavor options and at 2€ it’s a great deal.
Later in the day, after a bit of shopping and between museum visits, we stopped in for a glass of wine and to rest our feet at Enotecca Alessi, across the street from GROM.
Eric tried a Vernaccia (ver-nach-e-ah) di San Gimignano (notes: green, earthy, peppery, med acidity, melon, full bodied with light bitterness on finish) and I chose the one rose by the glass (notes: deep pink color, berry nose, light cream, quite nice). We also split the Florentine pate with blue cheese. The cheese was great but the pate was rather liquidy and lacking flavor. Overpriced at 10€ but at least the bread was good and it gave us a boost for the afternoon museum visit.
After visiting the Uffuzi Gallery, we decided to check the lines at the popular All’Antico Vinaio panini shop near the duomo. There was no wait at 5:30pm, so we grabbed a quick sandwich to split. The Schiacciata del Boss (‘crushed boss’) sandwich includes prosciutto, truffle spread and pecorino cheese on bread that was a perfect blend of crunchy crust and soft interior – delicious.
After a quick rest in the room, we decided to explore the other side of the river. On the way to dinner we stopped into Caffe Neri for a take-away chocolate cannoli.
Our original wine bar choice, Le volpi e l’uva, was packed so we choose the nearby Signor Vino instead. We found a place to sit in the retail area and after ordering our wines at the bar (and paying) we had a plate of free snacks delivered. How nice! In the mood for sparkling, I tried the Pinot Bianco Cuvee Brut and Eric got a traditional Prosecco. Both were very drinkable. For the second round (we had snacks left!) Eric went for a Ribola (notes: flinty, fairly light, light lime with some acid on the finish) and I tried a rose (notes: very light, drinks more like a medium body white; good value at 12 euros a bottle).
After dropping Eric’s parents off at the hotel (and polishing off the above cannoli), we wandered around looking for somewhere to enjoy a nightcap. After passing a few lively places, we circled back to Le Cappelle Medicee. Eric tried another white varietal, a Pia de Remole (notes: little funk on the nose, light honey tone (very mild sweetness) with some acidity; pleasant aperitivo) and I had my third rose of the trip, a Rosatello Prima Cuvee (notes: medium color, nice acidity and medium body with a bit of spice and fruit).
Saturday
We spent most of the day outside of the city touring Tuscany, so the only meal we had in Florence was dinner. We were still a bit full from our extensive winery lunch, so we stayed close to our hotel and tried Fermento Food & Beer where we split two pizzas. We sat outside but the heat lamps and rain shields did their jobs to keep us comfortable.
